NHNZ Announces Milestone Move

Media Release                                                                                            
NHNZ
Tuesday August 4th,2009

NHNZ Announces Milestone Move

Multi-award winning international television production company NHNZ is moving.

The company had outgrown its current base at 8 Dowling Street due to strong performance in recent years, NHNZ Managing Director Michael Stedman said.

After several months of searching for alternative premises, NHNZ has confirmed the purchase of the former Dunedin Convention Centre (and former Dunedin Metropolitan Club) at 5 Melville Street. Work will get underway on a major refit in the next few months with the redeveloped building expected to be operational by the middle of 2010.

Mr Stedman said many of the staff were sad to be leaving the historic former Garrison Hall which had been home to television production in Dunedin since 1962. Some of them, including Mr Stedman, had worked for decades in the former Dunedin Television Studios but the building was unable to accommodate the company’s current needs.

The multi-million dollar refurbishment is the result of a successful partnership with local investor Tony Offen through his investment company, Edinburgh Securities Limited.  Working together they had achieved a project that was “very special not only to NHNZ but also to Dunedin,” Mr Stedman said.

Mr Offen said he was delighted to be working alongside NHNZ for the provision of its new premises and facilities. “NHNZ is a significant business in Dunedin.  It continues to grow and has a world class reputation.  It is fantastic for Dunedin that NHNZ is making this move in anticipation of its growing business requirements over the long term.”

Redesigning and upgrading an existing building is environmentally friendlier than building from scratch and reflects NHNZ’s commitment to environmentally-sound practices and policies. The company aims to encompass as many green building features as practicable into its new base.

NHNZ is committed to supporting local companies through the project. Multi-award winning Dunedin-based Octa Associates Ltd has been awarded the project management contract and Baker Garden Architects are to be lead architects for the refurbishment.  The project would be financed by NHNZ’s strong performance in recent years and the sale of its existing premises, Mr Stedman said

“This is a major milestone in NHNZ’s history.  Our new base will provide New Zealand with a premier television production hub featuring the best equipment available housed in a state of the art facility designed with input from some of the industry’s most experienced professionals.

“The project will ensure that NHNZ is well placed to meet future challenges, and reflects our long held philosophy of survival through constant evolution and improvement,” he said.

Once completed NHNZ’s new headquarters will house 12 of the most up to date editing suites available, three sound suites, an expanded emerging media division, state of the art graphics suites and a studio.

NHNZ currently makes around 50 documentaries every year and employs up to 130 people. The company has offices in Beijing and Washington and owns Singapore production company Beach House Pictures.  Whilst Dunedin is home to NHNZ, the company was continuing to explore offshore expansion in regions including Australia, South America and South Africa, Mr Stedman said.

ends

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